Housing device

Abstract

An enclosure includes a furnace 1 and plates 7A to 7D arranged in the furnace 1 and used for placement of articles 5. Each of the plates 7A to 7D is movable vertically in the furnace 1. The enclosure further includes guide members 60A and 60B, each of which is disposed adjacent to a side of one plate of the plates 7A to 7D that is disposed at a loading/unloading position where the articles 5 are allowed to be loaded into or unloaded from the furnace 1. The guide members 60A and 60B guide the articles 5 and are rotatable with vertical movement of the plate.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. An enclosure comprising:
 a furnace; 
 a plurality of plates arranged in the furnace, the plates being used for placement of an article, each of the plates being movable vertically in the furnace; and 
 a guide member disposed adjacent to a side of one plate of the plates that is disposed at a loading/unloading position where the article is allowed to be loaded into or unloaded from the furnace, the guide member guiding the article and being rotatable with vertical movement of the plate. 
 
     
     
       2. The enclosure according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the guide member includes a contact portion capable of contacting the plate, and 
 wherein as the plate moves vertically, the plate contacts the contact portion and the guide member rotates. 
 
     
     
       3. The enclosure according to  claim 2 , wherein the plate disposed at the loading/unloading position contacts the guide member to prevent the guide member from rotating, thereby stabilizing the posture of the guide member. 
     
     
       4. The enclosure according to  claim 2 , further comprising:
 an external bridge disposed outside a door of the furnace; and 
 an article transfer device configured to move the article on the external bridge and the plate, 
 wherein the article transfer device includes a transfer unit that transfers the article in response to receiving a force and a transmission unit that is disposed on the external bridge and in the furnace and transmits a force to the transfer unit. 
 
     
     
       5. The enclosure according to  claim 1 , wherein the guide member rotates about an axis located outside the side of the plate. 
     
     
       6. The enclosure according to  claim 5 , wherein the guide member has a center of gravity located below the axis of rotation. 
     
     
       7. The enclosure according to  claim 1 , wherein the plate disposed at the loading/unloading position contacts the guide member to prevent the guide member from rotating, thereby stabilizing the posture of the guide member. 
     
     
       8. The enclosure according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 an external bridge disposed outside a door of the furnace; and 
 an article transfer device configured to move the article on the external bridge and the plate, 
 wherein the article transfer device includes a transfer unit that transfers the article in response to receiving a force and a transmission unit that is disposed on the external bridge and in the furnace and transmits a force to the transfer unit. 
 
     
     
       9. The enclosure according to  claim 8 , wherein the guide member includes a rotary shaft held by a fastening member included in the article transfer device. 
     
     
       10. The enclosure according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a sterilizer that sterilizes the inside of the furnace. 
 
     
     
       11. The enclosure according to  claim 1 , wherein the furnace is a freeze-drying furnace.